Interprofessional faculty development: integration of oral health into the geriatric diabetes curriculum, from theory to practice

Figures & data

Table 1 Demographics of geriatric education center faculty training program

Variable	Frequency	Percentage
Sex
Male	5	13
Female	33	87
Discipline
Medicine (MD)	2	5
Nursing (NP, RN)	19	50
Dentistry	4	11
Therapy (occupational, physical)	8	21
Pharmacy	5	13

Note: n=38.

Abbreviations: NP, nurse practitioner; MD, Doctor of Medicine; RN, registered nurse.

Table 2 Results for knowledge items

Knowledge evaluation items	Faculty trainees responding correctly to each item (n)
	n	Pre	Post	Improvement difference
1. Which of the following is not a reason given for why interprofessional training is often difficult to implement.	36	11	26	+15*
2. Which of the following statements is true regarding the future of health care?	36	31	33	+2
3. Which of the following best describes the difference between “multidisciplinary” and “interprofessional” health care team approaches?	36	18	30	+12*
4. Which of the following best characterizes an interprofessional team approach?	36	23	34	+11*

Notes:

* Denotes significant improvement from pre-test to post-test: t=4.65, df=35, P<0.01.

Table 3 Responses to attitudes items

Attitude to evaluation items	Agree		Disagree
	Pre	Post	Pre	Post
	n (%)	n (%)	n (%)	n (%)
1. An effective team member should value the work of their fellow team members.	31 (86.1)	36 (100)	0	0
2. It is appropriate for one team member to offer assistance to another who has an excessive workload.	30 (83.3)	34 (94.4)	2 (5.6)	0
3. Asking for assistance from a team member is a sign that an individual does not know how to do his/her job effectively.	10 (27.8)	30 (83.3)*	26 (72.2)	5 (13.9)
4. Providing services in interprofessional groups helps professionals become more sensitive to the diverse needs of patients than providing services as a single discipline.	11 (30.5)	25 (69.4)*	25 (69.4)	9 (22.2)
5. It is appropriate to continue to assert a patient safety concern until you are certain that it has been heard.	36 (100)	36 (100)	0	0
6. Benefits of a team approach in patient care are worth the extra time it takes to communicate across disciplines.	14 (38.9)	32 (88.9)*	17 (47.2)	3 (8.3)
7. Providing services as an interprofessional group produces better results for patients than working as single disciplines.	32 (88.9)	32 (88.9)	0	0
8. A team approach reduces duplication of efforts and fragmentation in the delivery of care and services.	24 (66.7)	34 (94.4)*	6 (16.7)	2 (5.6)
9. Interprofessional training should be a part of education for every health care professional.	29 (80.6)	35 (97.2)*	0	0

Notes:

* Denotes significant improvement from pre-test to post-test: t=10.78, df=35, P<0.01. Responses for strongly agree and agree are collapsed into “agree”; and responses for strongly disagree and disagree are collapsed into “disagree” for purposes of reporting. Responses for neither agree nor disagree are not included.

Table 4 Results of perception responses

Perception evaluation items	Agree		Disagree
	Pre	Post	Pre	Post
	n (%)	n (%)	n (%)	n (%)
1. When a health care professional has a concern about patient safety, they challenge others until they are sure the concern has been documented.	22 (61.1)	32 (88.9)*	11 (30.6)	3 (8.3)
2. Health care professionals correct each other’s mistakes to ensure that procedures are followed properly.	9 (25)	27 (75)*	22 (61.1)	3 (8.3)
3. Health care professionals follow a standard method of sharing information when transferring a patient to another health care site.	19 (52.8)	33 (91.7)*	8 (22.2)	1 (2.8)
4. Health care professionals use common terminology when they communicate with each other.	20 (55.6)	32 (88.9)*	16 (44.4)	2 (5.6)
5. In your health care facility, health care professionals correct each other’s mistakes to ensure that procedures are followed properly.	25 (69.4)	24 (66.7)	5 (13.9)	4 (11.1)

Notes:

* Denotes significant improvement pre-test and post-test: t=9.17, df=35, P<0.01. Responses for strongly agree and agree are collapsed into “agree”; and responses for strongly disagree and disagree are collapsed into “disagree” for purposes of reporting. Responses for neither agree nor disagree are not included.